Harry Potter and the Secret Child
by Miss M of Q
Summary: "Dubbed the greatest wizard of his generation, this famous wizard is on a roll, writes Rita Skeeter. But can he conquer his next great adventure: fatherhood?" Trio friendship. One-shot.


At barely three months old, Teddy Lupin had gained good head control - something that his godfather Harry, a skinny bespectacled seventeen-year-old with untidy black hair and green eyes, could not help but point out proudly to anyone who cared to listen.

"Look at that, Ron!" Harry said excitedly. "He's not floppy anymore!"

"Which means that I am now allowed to hold him without breaking his neck," said Ron, rubbing his hands enthusiastically. Just as he had folded his armsleeves up to his elbow, he turned to the woman beside him and added, "I can hold him, right Hermione?"

"Only if you can pry him away from Harry," she replied amusedly, casting a sidelong glance at Harry ( _"I'd like to see you try!"_ ), who was now swaying weirdly so that Teddy's head bobbed up and down...up and down...up and down...

It was true. Teddy Lupin seemed to have taken permanent residence in Harry Potter's arms lately - that is, only when his grandmother Andromeda Tonks' arms are too preoccupied with groceries or laundry or hugging friends and family.

As part of his godfather duties, Harry had appointed himself the official babysitter of Baby Teddy. He also took the liberty of making Ron and Hermione his babysitting consultants because he figured that anything worth doing should be done with his two best friends. Besides, Ron's had plenty of experience with his many siblings (something Hermione lacked), and Hermione had excellent nurturing instincts (which Ron lacked) - and these are two important qualities that Harry lacked. Between the three of them, Harry believed he had formed the perfect babysitter's club.

On Sundays, Harry, Ron, and Hermione would take Teddy for half the day to give Andromeda time to arrange her personal business. They would go visit muggle parks, playgrounds, and zoos to spare him from the prying eyes of his godfather's fanclub. Recently however, they often found themselves getting strange looks from muggles who thought it strange that Baby Teddy could have brown mousy hair one second and electric blue in the next. Hermione had solved this little problem simply by knitting little Teddy a tiny wool hat.

This particular Sunday, the trio decided to take Teddy to the park near Hermione's parents' house. Ever since she retrieved them from Australia barely a month ago, Hermione's parents seemed determined to hold on to her for as long as possible. They have now subscribed to The Daily Prophet and have been actively discussing wizarding current events with her every morning over breakfast. For her part, she had been making every conscious effort to include them in her daily activities. But because her daily activities mostly involve Harry and Ron, Mr. and Mrs. Granger had been seeing plenty of them as well.

Harry, Ron, and Teddy arrived at the Grangers' doorstep at quarter to nine that morning. Ron had barely touched the doorbell when the door swiftly swung open, revealing Hermione's mother.

"Hello Ron, Harry," said Mrs. Granger. She looked paler than usual and Harry could not help noticing that her smile did not quite meet her eyes. "I see you've brought little Teddy along today."

Mrs. Granger eyed Teddy with great interest. It was not the first time she saw the baby but the way she was looking...Harry was reminded of how people looked at him upon discovering that he was the famous Harry Potter.

"Good morning, Mrs. Granger," said Harry and Ron together.

Behind Mrs. Granger, Harry spotted Hermione appear from the top of the staircase.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, sounding a bit out of breath. "What took you so long? -Oh, nevermind!" She struggled with putting on a light jacket as she trampled down the stairs.

Upon reaching the landing, her eyes darted quickly from her mother's face to Teddy's.

"Mum." Hermione called to Mrs. Granger, breaking the latter's reverie. "We're going now. Remember what I told you this morning...Please don't open any letters for me while I'm gone." Hermione planted a swift kiss on her mother's cheek and pushed Harry and Ron hurriedly out the door.

"What's up with you?" Ron asked as Hermione all but hurried them away from her parent's house.

"Later," Hermione replied, sparing a quick glance at the window where her mother had been watching them, waving goodbye. Baby Teddy smiled back at her, his head bobbing and wobbling. Harry and Ron waved back.

It was a short walk from the Grangers' house to the park and once they had settled comfortably under the shade of a tree, Ron turned to Hermione and said, "Now, would you mind telling us what at was all about?"

Without missing a beat, Hermione shoved a crumpled copy of that morning's The Daily Prophet under their noses. On the front page was a huge photograph of Harry, Hermione and Baby Teddy. It looked like it was taken that one Sunday they had to stop by Weasely's Wizarding Wheezes for an errand. A sense of foreboding suddenly filled Harry. The three of them looked grimly at each other as the boys began to read...

 _ **Harry Potter's Secret Child**_

 _Dubbed the greatest wizard of his generation, this famous wizard is on a roll, writes Rita Skeeter. But can he conquer his next great adventure: fatherhood?_

 _Seventeen-year-old Harry Potter was on the cusp of manhood when he disappeared from the public eye and went into hiding shortly after the death of Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Potter was wanted for questioning regarding events surrounding Dumbledore's tragic demise._

 _Despite being branded as Undesirable No. 1 by the Ministry of Magic, he proved as elusive as ever and was reported to be traveling around the country with longtime girlfriend Hermione Granger._

 _The pair had been in an on-again, off-again relationship for the past three years or so. Readers may recall a slight rift between the two a few years back, which involved a certain famous Bulgarian Seeker. Nevertheless, they seem to have rekindled their romance since then and are reportedly "closer than ever."_

 _Miss Granger, a muggleborn witch, was among those who failed to turn up for an investigation spearheaded by the now-defunct Muggleborn Registration Commission. She had apparently been on the run with Potter at the time._

 _With Potter's continued absence, rumors of his activities circulated. As rumors are wont to do, these tales grew more and more outrageous with time. The public was raving for news on the Chosen One._

 _As though to answer his admirers' ardent request, Harry Potter finally emerged from the shadows nine months later and promptly defeated the most dangerous dark wizard of the century. They battled viciously in what has since been referred to as the Battle of Hogwarts._

 _But a question has been burning in everyone's minds: what had Potter been up to in those mysterious nine months?_

 _One need only sort through the various rumors floating about for an idea. But recent information has come to light, pointing to a shocking explanation for those missing nine months._ \- Turn to page 9

Continued from front page -

 _Potter has recently been spotted clutching a bouncing baby boy possesively in public, with the glow of a man content with life - far from the image of a brooding, troubled boy he was a few years ago._

 _If certain claims are to be believed, this male infant - who looks to be only 1 or 2 months of age - may be the reason for Potter (and Granger's) temporary respite._

 _In any case, Harry Potter's supposed love child, whose name is yet to be made public, can now look forward to a bright safe future, thanks to the efforts of his very young father._

Harry and Ron both finished reading at about the same time.

"Rubbish!" Ron said dismissively, crumpling the paper and hiding it in his jacket pocket, away from muggle eyes.

Hermione, who had been playing with Teddy while the two boys read, said worriedly, "That's what I thought too. But my parents have been getting The Daily Prophet delivered and, well...let's just say they weren't too pleased this morning..."

She looked sadly at Teddy as he wiggled his arms and legs, trying to roll over to his stomach unsuccessfully.

"I mean, I told them it was all rubbish of course...but ever since they found out about what I did to them last year...I know that they still double check everything I tell them. They don't trust me as much as before, you see."

Harry looked at her. She sat miserably, her eyes glossed over with tears which she tried very hard to blink back.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." said Harry simply, offering a friendly pat on the shoulder. He did not know what else to say. He wanted to fire back at Skeeter, but experience with the press told him that thay would only delight in eliciting any reaction from him and he could not stand giving them that satisfaction.

Ron was quick to come to her. He placed an arm around her shoulder and gave her a firm squeeze.

"We'll talk to your parents if you want," said Ron bracingly. "Or if that doesn't work, we'll kidnap Skeeter and force her to tell them the truth."

Hermione sniffed.

"Then afterward, maybe we can convince your parents to use their dentistry skills and take all her teeth away..." Ron added as an afterthought. "That ought to shut her up."

Hermione cracked the tiniest of smiles.

"Or perhaps we can just kidnap Skeeter and keep her in an unbreakable glass again like before," Harry suggested.

"Ah, good times!" Ron said with an air of nostalgia.

Harry and Hermione laughed.

Teddy, still wriggling on his back, had grown quite frustrated by his inability to switch position. His face was screwed up, poised to cry.

"Oi, Harry, your son's upset!" said Ron, clearly alarmed by the baby's impending outburst. Teddy's face grew purplish by the second. Hermione had the good sense to pick him up and rock him side to side.

"Get his bottle, quickly!" said Hermione urgently. Harry dove for Hermione's magical beaded bag and extracted a milk bottle from it. He threw it to Ron, who caught it easily, and gently attached the silicon nipple to Teddy's lips. Teddy latched on instantaneously and sucked.

The three of them sighed audibly as Teddy settled comfortably in Hermione's arms. Harry and Ron sat themselves on either side of Hermione and they all watched Teddy in silence. Soon, he was showing signs of drowsiness; His head grew heavier and heavier as his eyelids drooped further down with every breath...soon he was fast asleep, his empty milk bottle lay forgotten beside him.

"How sure is Rita that this child is even Harry's?" murmured Hermione a few minutes later. "I mean, look! He could be Ron's, with appetite like that..."

"Well, how sure is she that that's even _yours_ , Hermione," said Harry feigning offense, "For all she knows, he might be Ron's love child with me."

"Yeah Hermione. I mean I like you and all, but Harry's got this Chosen One vibe going on. It's pretty hard to resist..." said Ron, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Harry.

The three friends burst into laughter. But as Teddy began to stir, they contented themselves with stifled mirth.

They spent the rest of their time with Teddy like this, imagining what Teddy's future would be like if they had been his parents: Hermione wanted to teach Teddy the joys of reading as soon as possible, Harry and Ron firmly insisted on early Quidditch education, but they all agreed that sending him to muggle school prior to Hogwarts would probably help him make friends...

Soon the sun had cast overhead and it was getting too hot to be outdoors. The time had come to return home. Nevertheless, Harry, Ron, Hermione left the muggle park in high spirits. As usual, muggle parents would occasionally throw them curious looks as they passed - perhaps wondering what business three teenagers had walking around with a baby. None of it mattered to Harry though. Because as long as his babysitter's club was in full swing, he was certain that Teddy was in good hands.


End file.
